Automatic transfer mechanism for conveyers



June 24, was. s. OLSON 1,766,142 AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CONVEYERS Filed June 11, 1927 5 zzeZO ZJ': Z I

Patented June 24, 1930 1 1] umrso srares PATENT-OFFICE f?- mo er cnrene finmnors, A oonrona'rron or rumors au'roma'rrc 'rnnn'srnn mncnnnrs'm' ron oonvEYE'ns i Application filed June 11,

, In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a substantially horizontal conveyer, arranged to discharge loads to-a downwardly travelling vertical conveyer, anda horizontal feeding provided with "timing mechanism for regu ating the supply of loads to the horizontal conveyer. a

Figure 2'is a fragmentary side elevation, showing a horizontal conveyer arranged to dischargeloads to an upwardly travelling vertical conveyer, showing in dotted outline the commencement of the -discharge.. v

Figure 3'is a fragmentary plan view, show- 1 ing the relation of the horizontal feeding line 4+4, Figure 3; r

conveyer and timing mechanism to the horizontal conveyer, together-with the drive conneotions therefon Fi ure 4 is a vertical section taken through the orizontal feeding conveyer taken on In transferring loads,- such astrays'and the like, from a horizontal conveyer to a vertically movable conveyer, it "is desirable to have thetransfer made automatically. In conveying apparatus for restaurants, hotels, etc., it"is essential'that the loador tray be automatically and positively transferred from one conveyer to anoth'erin a smooth and easy manner, to prevent unnecessary jarring of'the dishes and foodstuffs carriedon the tra s. i

In igure 1 of thedrawing the vertical conveyer is illustrated more or less diagrammatically, and it will be understood to consist of two pairs of endless chainbelts, 1,

only one pair appearing in 1 the drawing. These chain belts are trained over head and isjof the continuous type,

1927. Serial n. 198,081.

foot wheels, 2 and 3,mounted on th'eirrespective head and footshafts, 4 and 5. The head shafts, 4;, are interconnected by mitre mum. onson, or can rank, names, nssienon ro fsamuml onsona'comranv gears, 6,.for operating the belts at. equal speeds. One of said head shafts maybe driven fromany suitable source of power through ears, s rockets, or as herein shown, a pulley Eac pair of belts, 1, is provided with flights or load supporting members, 8, spaced at regular intervals, the flights of the respective pairsof belts being in horizontal alignment with eachother, so as to carry a load such as a tray indicated .at, 9, in a substantially horizontal position.

The arrangement herein described is for transferring loads froma substantially horizontal conveyer to a vertically travelling con- .veyer at a point intermediate its head and foot wheels, during the operation of both conveyers, which is the converse of the arrangement disclosed in my Patent No. 1,636,429,

dated July 19, 1927, of which this application is a continuation in part.

A transverse, substantially h'orizontal'conyeyer is adapted to transfer loads such as trays and the like onto the respective pairs of flights or load supporting members, 8, of

the vertical conveyer as will now be described. Transfer of loads maybe made to avertically travelling conveyer adapted to'carry loads upwardly or downwardly, in similar manners, except that in reversing the drivepulley, 7, by any suitable mechanism, not shown, it becomes necessary to reverse the connected drive gearing for the transverse conveyer for operatingthe latter always in the samedirection, as will hereinafter appear. The transverse conveyer, as illustrated in the drawing, comprising an end-' less belt, 10, trained over head and foot pulleys, 11 and 12, respectively. The-foot pulley, 12, is relatively widefaced and is mount ed on a drive shaft, 13, which is supported in suitable bracket bearings, 14, secured toframing,

vided with pusher flights, 16, corresponding to the intervals of spacings of the load sup porting members, 8, on the belts of the verti- 15, partially shown. It will be under stood that the foot end of this conveyer pivots about this drive shaft, 13. The belt, 10, is procal conveyer. The flight, 16, is adapted to engage the" rear end or edge of the load (herein, a tray, 9) for positively pushing the same forwardly, on over the head pulley, 11, and thence onto a pair of timed load supporting members, 8, of the vertical conveyer. A pair of longitudinally extending frames or angle iron guards, 17, are disposed adjacent the edges of thebelt, 10, so as to guide the loads or trays, 9, tothe transfer point. These -an-' gle iron guides 17, may be pivoted at the foot end to the frame,15, their forward ends being carried on suitable bearing brackets, 18, which are loosely 'ournaled on opposite ends of the shaft, 19, of the head pulley, 11.

The head end of the transverse conveyer is vertically movable,'so that a load being trans ferre'd'therefrom to the vertical conveyer will be movedverticallyto' maintain it in registration with a pair of the load supporting members, 8, for a sufficient distance to permit the complete transfer of the load on to the vertical'conveyerl- The vertical movement of the head end of the transverse conveyer may be accomplished by a pair of spaced cams, 25, mounted on a transverse shaft, 26, which is driven through suitable gearing from the foot shaft, 5, of the vertical conveyer, so that said cams may be rotated in positive relation corresponding to the intervals of the spacing .of the flights or load-supporting members, 8, on thechain 'belts,1. Follower rollers, 27, engage the outer periphery of the cams, 25, and are carried on theends of a pair of pusher rods, 28, extending vertically upward,'which are thus raised and lowered as the cams revolve. The upper ends ofsaid pusher rods are pivotally connected to 0pposite ends of the head shaft, 19, of the transverse conve er so as to raise and lower the vhead end 0 said conveyer upon rotation of the cam, '25, causing said head end to be moved upwardly ordownwardly in timed relationwith load supporting fl1ghts, 8, of the vertical conveyer; These cams are so mounted'on'the shaft, 26, that the head end of the transverse conveyer will be lowered to the dotted position indicated at A 1 n Figure 1, durin the initial part of the discharge or trans er of the load while the vertical conveyer is travelling downward, and W111 reach the position indicated in full lines when the trans- 1 fer is almost completed. When the vertical conveyer is travelling upward, the dotted position indicatedat B, Figure 2,- showsthe commencement of the transfer, while in full transverse conveyer.

direction to effect uniform vertical reciprocation of the pusher rods, 28. Frequently it is desirable to elevate instead of lower loads, or vice versa, and the arrangement herein permits the vertical conveyer to beoperated in either direction by themere reversal of the driving pulley, 7. T he. transverse and vertical conveyer-s may be independently operated, but it is preferable to have an interconnection f-or driving one bythe other to insure a positive-timing of the'conveyers with .each other. As shown in the drawing,the transverse conveyer'is driven from one of the head shafts, 4, of the vertical conveyer through an inclined operating shaft, 35, and bevel gears, 36. The lower end of shaft, 35, is provided with a bevel gear, 37-, interposed between and ,meshingwith a pair of oppositely disposed bevel gears, 38,1ooselymounted on the drive shaft, 13, of the foot end of the pair of gears, 38, are provided with clutch jaws, 39, adapted to be selectively engaged by corresponding clutch jaws, 40, of a sliding clutch member, 41, feathered to the drive shaft, 13, intermediate said gears, '38. The clutch member, 41,,may be actuated by any suitable shifting means, not shown. It will now be seen that-the gearing including the bevel gears, 37-,and 38 provides a reversible drive connection from operatingshaft, 35, .to the drive shaft, 13, of the transverse conveyer, so thatwhen the vertical conveyer is reversed indirection, said gearing may-reverse the drive from the operating shaft, 35, to permitthe transverse conveyer to always be drivenin a direction toward the vertical conveyer. 1

The transverse conveyer may be loaded either manually or automatically. It is desirable in' most instances to automatically. load it for the sake of economy and for this purpose a horizontal feeding conveyer is provided with mechanism for timing the re lease of loads to the horizontal conveyer. The conveyer includes several pairs .(prefer- I ably three) oftiming' stops, 45, whichma-y be automatically actuated for timing the loads as fully disclosed in my Patent, No; 1,469,329, issued October 2, 1923. The timing, mechanism herein shown operates on the same gen eralprinciples as in my patent, and is modi- -fied only, for adaptation to, the. arrangement herein described; The timing stops, 45, are carr ed in the outer' endsliof rocker arms, 46, which are loosely mounted pairs on the oppositely disposed longitudinally extendiri g cam shafts, 47. The-timing mechanism s preferably driven from the transverse i conveyer to insure positive timed relations of the loads to the flights, 16. A spur gear, 48, mounted-on the drive shaft, 13, meshes, with a second gear, 49, carried on the outer end of a stub shaft, 50, which is supported in a bearing, 51, connected'to the bearing bracket, :14,

The inner faces of the fun for support on the framing,"-.== Said stub shaft drives one of the cam shafts, 47,

; vided with flightsatregular intervals for positively discharging theload to the load. supporting means of the vertical conveyer,

through a pair of bevel gears, 52, and the cam shafts, 47, are interconnected by a pair of spur gears, 53, for actuating the timing narrow belts are adapted to carry the load toward the transverse conveyer, under regulation by the timing: stops, so as to engage v the flights, 16, of the transverse conveyer, at

proper intervals. A. pair of guard angles, 56, extend longitudinally adjacent'the outer ed es of the narrow belts, 55,.to serve as guides to the load andmaintainit in proper alignment withlthetiming stops, asit is ad-' vanced-to the transverse conveyer;

Iclaim: I 1. The combination ofa vertically travelling conveyer. with load, supporting means disposed at intervals thereon, a transverselytravelling conveyer adjacent thereto, promeans interconnecting the two'conveyers for timing said flights in relation to said ,load supporting means of the'vertical conveyer, and means for moving said transverse con- 'veyer for a limited distance substantially vertical direction in correlation with the load supporting. means, of'the'vertical conveyer during transfer of the load. .2. In the combination defined in claimfl,

timing, mechanism associated with said transverse conveyer'ada ted for dellve'rlng loads theretoat interva s corresponding to- I thespacing ofithe flights thereon. I

3.,.The combination of a reversible verti I 'callyf 'travellin conveyerwith load support:

ing means disposed atfinterv'als thereon adapted-for carrying loads in either direc- I tion, a transversely travelling conveyer adlar intervals for ositively' discharging 1ndividual unit 10a swto the load'supporting means of the vertical conveyer, means inter- H connecting the two conveyers for timing said flights in relation to such load supporting means of the vertical conveyer, and including reversible gearing, adjustable at will, to .permit the transverse conveyer to operate -always in its original direction of travel,

while the vertical conveyer operates in either. direction. Y v

- 4. The combination of a reversible vertically travelling conveyer with load supportj acent thereto, provided with flights at regutapes or conveyer.

ing means disposed at intervals thereon, a transversely travellin conveyer associated therewith and having ights at regular intervals for positively discharging individual unit loads to the vertical conveyer, meansinterconnecting the two conveyers for timing the flights in relation to said load-suportin'g means, and including gearing, ad- ]ustable for operating said transverse conveyer in its original direction of'travel, while the vertical conveyer operates in either direction, together with means for raising and lowering said transverse conveyer through a limited distance in respectively equal time intervals for maintaining its re 'stration with the load supporting means 0 the vertical conveyer during the transfer of a load thereto, when the latter operates in either direction.

5. In the combination defined in claim 4,

the reversible vertical conveyer being arranged to travel at a uniform speed in either direction, and the means for raising and lowering the transverse conveyer being designed, L to cause such movement at substantially the same speed as that of the vertical conveyer. '6.'In the combination defined in claim 1,

the foot end of the transverse conveyer bein' designed to provide pivotalsupport for sai conveyer throughout the entire range of raising and lowering the discharge end thereof.' Y

7 The combination of a. reversible vertically travelling conveyer with load-supporting .means disposed at intervals thereon adapted for, carrying loads in either direction, a transversely travelling conveyer associated therewith andarranged for continuously advancing its load, means for moving.

the transverse conveyer through a limited -range ofvertical movement in correlation with the supporting means of the vertical ,conveyer during transfer-10f the load from one conveyer to the other, and driving connections between said conveyers arranged to permit operation of the transverse conveyer in the samedirection, while permittingoperation of the vertical conveyer in eitherdirection. in v 8. The combination of a vertically traveling conveyer with load-supporting means disposed at intervals thereon, a transversely I traveling conveyer adjacent thereto and a1? ranfiled for discharging loads onto the .ver-.,.

y traveling. conveyer, andmeans for- .movmg said transverse conveyer for a limited distance iii-substantially vertical direca rate to'maintain registration of the tic tion surface from which the load is discharged with the surface which is to receive the load, during transfer of the load to the vertical SAMUEL OLSON. 

